Summer Vacation

[b]At a Glance[/b] [b]Recommendation:[/b] Recommended [b]Best For:[/b] Players looking for a substantial gay visual novel that combines romance, sexuality, coming out, and coming-of-age drama. [b]Not For:[/b] Players seeking a lighthearted fantasy-space romance with minimal conflict or emotional hardship. [b]Playtime:[/b] Approximately 10-12 hours for a single route, with multiple endings and romance paths encouraging replayability. [b]MLM Tags:[/b] MLM, M4M, Visual Novel, Self-Discovery, Coming Out, Drama, Romance 💬 [b]Supportive Caveat[/b] I received a free review copy from the developer. [i]Summer Vacation[/i] is currently in Early Access and contains what the developer describes as Arc 1 of a larger planned story. Even so, Arc 1 is already substantial. One full playthrough took me roughly 11 hours, and even after pursuing additional endings, I still have not seen every route or ending currently available. My review reflects the current Early Access build. 🎮 [b]Gameplay & Genre[/b] [i]Summer Vacation[/i] is a choice-driven adult visual novel focused on relationships, sexuality, self-discovery, and the messy transition into early adulthood. You follow Mat through summer vacation, his first year at university, and the winter and spring breaks that follow, with choices shaping friendships, romance paths, and endings. The game also flags major decisions that will significantly affect the story or ending. I appreciated the clarity, especially in a route-based VN with multiple outcomes, though I do think there should be a way to turn those warnings off for players who prefer a more organic playthrough. The current build includes five parts, multiple routes, Steam achievements, a built-in gallery, and collectible memories. There is also some voice acting, but it is minimal, mostly limited to a few first lines. That was slightly confusing at first because I was not sure whether the game was meant to be fully voiced or only partially voiced, but once the pattern became clear, it did not meaningfully affect the experience. The scope is one of the most impressive things about the game. This is not a short teaser or a thin Early Access sample. Arc 1 alone contains more content than many finished visual novels, and if future arcs continue building on this foundation, there is a lot of potential here. 🔥 [b]M/M Content[/b] This is an explicit M/M visual novel centered on Mat discovering his attraction to men and figuring out what that means for his identity, relationships, and future. The game includes multiple romance paths and a significant amount of sexual content, but it is not simply a sex-forward visual novel. The M/M content is tied closely to Mat’s emotional development, coming out, first love, temptation, vulnerability, and uncertainty. There is a strong coming-out and self-discovery framework here. Mat is not entering a fully realized gay fantasy space. He is still becoming honest with himself, and the story spends real time with that process. That makes the game feel more grounded, though also less purely escapist. Consent is handled seriously, and the relationships vary in tone from sweet and romantic to more complicated and emotionally messy. Some of the older-men content appears in fantasy sequences, so it often reads as Mat’s imagination exploring desire, attraction, and taboo rather than as literal relationship development. In his real-life interactions with some of those older men, though, the dynamic still read as uncomfortable to me. That may be partly a matter of perspective, but those scenes sometimes pulled me out of the fantasy rather than drawing me deeper into it. 🎨 [b]Visuals & Style[/b] The visual presentation is one of the game’s strongest assets. The character artwork is attractive, expressive, and consistently high quality throughout a very long story. The cast is visually distinct, and both the romantic and emotional scenes benefit from strong character designs and polished CG work. The animated scenes are also surprisingly well done. There is a slight drop in quality compared to the still artwork, but the difference is minor and never became distracting. In many cases, the animations add considerably more energy and intimacy to scenes that might otherwise have felt static. More than once, I found myself appreciating the fact that the developer invested the effort to animate moments rather than relying exclusively on still images. The interface is clean, the gallery is useful, and the overall presentation feels more complete than I expected from an Early Access release. The developer discloses that some music and sound were generated using AI tools. That may matter to some players, though the overall package still feels polished and professional. 🗣️ [b]Tone & Writing[/b] The writing is compelling because it treats Mat’s story as more than a romance checklist. This is a coming-of-age and coming-out drama about desire, identity, friendship, emotional risk, and the consequences of being seen before you are ready. There is a lot of drama here. The story includes forced outing, homophobic reactions, hazing, internalized homophobia, and a suicide attempt involving a supporting character. Those elements are not graphic, but they do make the game heavier than someone expecting a breezy summer romance might anticipate. Act V also shifts noticeably in tone, becoming more earnest and overwrought than the first four acts. The content largely warrants that heightened emotion, but the shift is still noticeable. That said, the game also has sweetness, humor, sexiness, and real emotional momentum. It is not pure gay escapism, but it is a strong gay story. This is a game about discovering yourself, not escaping into a world where that discovery is already resolved. 👍 [b]Best Thing[/b] The scope. Arc 1 alone is long, route-rich, and emotionally substantial, with enough content to feel like a full visual novel rather than a preview of one. 👎 [b]Worst Thing[/b] The heavier themes may be more than some players are looking for, especially if they want a shame-free fantasy space rather than a realistic coming-out drama. ⭐ [b]Final Verdict[/b] [i]Summer Vacation[/i] is an ambitious gay coming-of-age and coming-out visual novel with meaningful choices, multiple romance paths, explicit M/M content, and impressive scope. It is sexy and sweet, but also dramatic and emotionally grounded. If you are looking for pure escapism, this may not be the right fit. If you want a substantial M/M visual novel about sexuality, first love, self-discovery, and growing into yourself, this is absolutely worth playing. [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/45790038/]I also curate a Steam page reviewing M/M games if you’re looking for more titles in this space.[/url]

Eu agradeço aos devs pela localização em PT-BR. Ficou ótima e não tive problemas com gramática ou inconsistência nos diálogos. Primeiro, vou pontuar o que não gostei, porque de fato acho importante essa parte. Steve é o principal personagem pelo qual me peguei encantado, porém o jogo realmente não dá informação alguma sobre o que ele é do nosso pai, ou se ele está ou não flertando com a gente. No fim, dá a sensação de que todo mundo dá uns pega nele, menos a gente. QUE ÓDIO ASHUSA. E acho bem chato essa coisa de "deixar em aberto para sua imaginação" em jogos que tem o elemento de escolha. Nosso personagem entra muito em devaneio, e isso dá a sensação de se perder muito fácil na história sem saber quando é um pensamento, uma memória ou de fato a realidade ali. Tive que prestar atenção umas 2 vezes para entender o que realmente estava rolando. O jogo tem muita narrativa interativa, o que é ótimo, porém como é um jogo com CG e R18, torna insuportável se perder nos saves e nunca saber onde está ou o que falta para completar as CGs. Senti que faltou um pouco mais de liberdade para conseguir ter algo íntimo com Steve, Noel e adoraria algum final com Peter mas.. Agora os pontos que eu gostei. A história, por mais que tenha uma ou outra lacuna, foi algo divertido. Os personagens têm personalidades marcantes. Adorei como é demonstrada a questão de se assumir ou lidar com isso internamente, foi algo profundo e real. Especialmente a história do Peter. Nem sempre as cenas têm looping, mas são boas, e dá para pular todas as cenas R18 se quiser. Jogo tem uma duração boa, eu levei em torno de umas 8h pra finalizar uma única run, considerando que existe outras rotas, outros romances, da pra pensar que rende umas 15 a 20h jogando tranquilo. O preço do jogo está acessível e a otimização está boa, sem bugs aparentes. Tem alguns cortes na história que deixa o furo sem entender o que rolou ali e não sei se é proposital ou bug. Tem bastante narrativa interativa nos diálogos. Ele me lembra muito outro jogo chamado "Coming Out on Top" que é ótimo. Espero muito um spin-off ou qualquer coisa que nos dê mais momentos com Steve e Noel, até mesmo com Peter ou Tim. Minha nota é 9.5/10. Vale a pena!! 🩵

need Chinese ---------------- Recommended. The game is currently in Early Access, but Arc 1 already feels like a complete and satisfying story on its own. While future chapters are still in development, the existing content offers several hours of meaningful gameplay and character-driven storytelling. Unlike many adult visual novels where the story mainly serves as a vehicle for explicit content, Summer Vacation feels much more like a coming-of-age narrative. The story follows Matthew during the transition from high school to university, exploring themes of self-discovery, identity, and different approaches to relationships. The routes involving Fabian, Carlos, and Jin are not just different romance options—they also represent distinct perspectives on intimacy and connection. One of the game's strongest aspects is its character writing. Many characters feel like they have lives and histories beyond their immediate role in the plot. Certain interactions and conversations are intentionally left open to interpretation, encouraging players to think about the characters' motivations rather than having every answer explicitly explained. This creates a surprising amount of depth for the genre. Although the game contains plenty of adult content, it rarely feels disconnected from the narrative. Most scenes contribute to character development, emotional growth, or the overall themes of the story. Even without the explicit content, the core narrative would still stand on its own. Of course, this is only Arc 1. Several story threads and character arcs remain unresolved, and the long-term quality of future updates remains to be seen. However, the current version has already achieved something many visual novels struggle with: it made me genuinely care about what happens to these characters next. If you enjoy character-focused stories, coming-of-age narratives, or LGBTQ+ visual novels with a stronger emphasis on storytelling than pure fan service, this is well worth checking out. Looking forward to future story updates.

The main character is ugly af in 70% of the scenes and half the time everyone has weird face expressions that are uncanny or downright creepy (mother's face at the very beginning of the game was a jumpscare I still can't forget). Not sure whether to attribute it to the engine, AI, or art direction. The story, too, is nonsensical and makes no sense to me most of the time. Not sure if this is a me problem, but these "coming of age, discovering my sexuality" storylines just sound like bad fanfiction and unrealistic, and that's me saying as someone who didn't realise these things until late either. That being said, the romance part of the storyline is cute and enjoyable! I admit I am skipping maybe like 30% of the dialogue because of the above reasons, but I was invested enough in Fabien storyline I stuck around for the romance. (Edit: I got to Part 5 bit, and the story turned weird. I got a face full of depressing ANGST that it almost made me change my review to a not recommended...) For an early access, there is also surprising amount of content, especially considering I haven't even finished one route yet and I am looking forward to seeing what the other routes give. The fappable parts of the game are kinda meh, I've played other games with similar art style that I've found better in this aspect. We are not drowning in options, so overall for the current EA price tag, I'd recommend the game and I am looking forward what later Chapters will bring.

This review reflects my personal experience with the game. While I aim to write thoughtfully and as fairly as possible, my reviews are subjective in nature and should not be used as objective metrics to assess/critique a game. I also curate a steam group which focusses on reviewing BL/Bara/MxM VNs. Feel free to join if you would like to see more reviews! :) [url=https://store.steampowered.com/curator/46061383-Gay-Games-Vault] Gay Games Vault[/url] [code] SECTION | SCORE --------------------|------- Writing & Story | ★★★★★ Representation | ★★★★★ Gameplay | ★★★★☆ Art & Direction | ★★★★★ Recommendation | ★★★★★ Completion Time: | 10-15 hours [/code] Writing & Story - ★★★★★ There are countless stories about discovering you are gay. Far fewer, however, ask what happens once that discovery is no longer the destination, but simply the beginning of adulthood; Summer Vacation belongs firmly in the latter category. At its heart, this is Mathew's coming-of-age story. As he prepares to leave for university, he slowly begins to understand who he is, what he wants from life and what love means to him. It's easy for Mathew's journey to resonate with many of us, especially when Summer Vacation never suggests there is one correct answer. Instead, every person Mathew meets offers a different perspective on relationships, sexuality and self-acceptance, allowing the player to discover that there is no single way to be yourself. Each romance feels genuinely distinct because each character brings something different to Mathew's life. Fabien is caring and selfless, often putting other people's wellbeing before his own. Carlos initially believes that keeping love and intimacy separate is the safest way to protect himself from getting hurt, only to realise that genuine connection is worth the vulnerability he has spent so long avoiding. Jin develops his feelings more gradually, creating a relationship built on trust and mutual respect rather than dramatic declarations. None of these routes feel interchangeable. They are different conversations about love, each allowing Mathew to grow in a different direction and that is why, I believe that exploring them all is imperative to fully understand the beauty of this visual novel. Peter deserves special mention, despite his route still being incomplete. His story explores something equally important: accepting yourself is not a journey reserved for teenagers. Watching someone who has already built an adult life begin questioning parts of himself that he has spent years suppressing adds another perspective to the game's broader themes. Some of the most emotionally difficult scenes in the visual novel come through Peter's struggle, particularly as his internal conflict begins affecting those around him. Rather than treating his pain with rejection, the game approaches it with empathy, reminding us that asking for help is sometimes the bravest decision a person can make. Perhaps what impressed me most, however, is how believable these relationships become. Romance is rarely built through grand gestures alone. It grows through small and natural interactions, spontaneous conversations, teasing between friends, difficult discussions, awkward misunderstandings and countless everyday interactions that slowly deepen into affection. Thanks to the variety of moments that Mathew spends with his new friends (and by extension love interests), by the time stronger feelings emerge, they feel less like plot points and more like the natural continuation of their lives. The game certainly contains dramatic moments—homophobia, family expectations, mental health struggles and difficult decisions all play important roles—but those moments never feel as though they exist simply to shock the player. They arise naturally from the characters and, because of that, as the player, I felt emotionally connected with all of the characters. Representation - ★★★★★ Representation is one of Summer Vacation's greatest strengths because it refuses to reduce queer identity to a single experience. Every member of the main cast approaches relationships, intimacy and self-acceptance differently. In fact, some characters are confident, while others are still questioning themselves. Some are emotionally reserved, while others are open from the beginning. None of them are presented as being "more correct" than the others. I also appreciated that the game treats sexuality as one part of these characters rather than their entire personality. They have ambitions, insecurities, friendships, disagreements and individual interests outside their romances, making them feel like complete people rather than simply love interests waiting for the player to choose them. Perhaps most importantly, these relationships feel as though they were written with genuine affection. By the time I reached the developer's closing message, that feeling made complete sense to me. Gameplay - ★★★★☆ Mechanically, Summer Vacation remains a traditional visual novel. There is lots of reading, choice-making and also a mobile message exchange that gradually shape Mathew's future and those choices matter. Relationships can be locked or opened depending on your decisions and even seemingly ordinary moments influence who becomes part of Mathew's life. One early decision even determines who you will share your university accommodation with, subtly changing the direction of later events (no spoilers!). Art & Direction - ★★★★★ The presentation consistently complements the writing. There is an impressive number of CGs, helping important emotional moments feel memorable rather than simply described through text. While animation and voice acting appear only occasionally, they are used sparingly enough that they enhance key scenes instead of becoming expected. I also appreciated the interface. The transitions are clean, the colour palette is pleasant to look at and small details, such as the on-screen clock marking the passage of time, reinforce the sense that Mathew's life is moving forward. Considering how much of the story depends on watching relationships develop over several months, that simple addition contributes far more than it initially appears. The soundtrack is excellent, albeit there are only a few tracks available, but they all suit the atmosphere well and never feel intrusive. Do I recommend it? Absolutely! Summer Vacation succeeds because it understands that growing up is not simply about discovering your sexuality. It is about discovering what kind of relationships you want, what kind of people you wish to surround yourself with and learning that accepting yourself is often easier when those around you accept you first. The game does not advocate for one correct way to love, one correct relationship, or one correct version of being gay. Instead, it introduces people who have each found their own answer and invites Mathew, and the player, to find theirs. One thought kept returning to me while I was writing this review. We often ask where a work of fiction ends and reality begins, yet Summer Vacation makes that boundary feel surprisingly fragile. The relationships are written with such sincerity that I could not help wondering where the developer ends and the human being behind the screen begins. Whether intentional or not, it feels as though a small part of the person who created this story now lives inside it.

我因該，是第一個中文評論吧? 這款遊戲上架的第一時間就買來玩了，如你所見，我已經玩過一周目的狀態，明天因該會去看其他分支吧，現在先把目前的心得感想記錄下來~ 這款遊戲我是有先玩過試玩版的，當時就感覺相當喜歡，也驚嘆試玩版就有如此豐富的內容，而正式版的遊戲時長也高達20小時左右(如果包含解分支)，真的是誠意滿滿，不像最近出的另一個遊戲Heatwave: Sam's Stay，大概只有三小時~ 這實在是巨大差異!(雖然那款也很棒)。 再加上價格如此便宜，那真的是沒甚麼好猶豫的阿阿啊!!! 最大的問題就是沒有中文翻譯...我全程拿著手機goole實時機翻玩的，真的是很有愛才這樣@@ 遊戲主角馬特完全不是我喜歡的類型，他那莫名其妙的大屌，也讓我感到非常突兀，不過法比安算是完全長在我的心眼上的，不論是外貌還是性格，堪稱完美情人好吧!這款遊戲完全是衝著法比恩玩的，甚至我覺得，如果沒有法比安這個角色，我根本不會購買這款遊戲~如果現實生活讓我遇到一個法比安，那真的是此生無憾了(有沒有這麼誇張)>< 遊戲前期暑假生活時感覺劇情非常豐富，反倒到學校的部分有點草草帶過的感覺，而寒假木屋那邊也是略顯粗糙，但後面跟法比安揪心的劇情，又是如此絕妙，算是一個，開高，走低，最後又回光反照的狀態~ 而且我在學校明明完全沒有選擇jin的任何接觸，結果木屋卻被分配到跟jin同一間，還說我喜歡他，這點算是超莫名其妙的，當時沒有選項就算了，前面也無發展任何關係，怎麼就變這樣了，真的是超奇怪~我想選法比安阿，不是jin好嗎... 不過也因為這種安排，讓我對jin這個角色有更多的認識，雖然他的外型完全不是我的菜，但性格與價值觀，是有特色的，雖然算不上喜歡，至少也不覺得無聊。 而卡洛斯，就是一個活力黑男，我覺得是還不錯，但完全比不上法比安就是了~ 最後那段，是真的神，在玩的時候，我跟主角一起感同身受，明明只是遊戲劇情，卻好像經歷在我身上一樣，不得不說，馬特雖然完全不是我喜歡的類型，但卻是最符合我的類型，這或許也是為何我能夠如此有帶入感的緣故吧? 看到有其他評論說AI語音不好，但我覺得比起完全無聲音，有聲音至少會讓這個角色更加立體，如果有經費的話，去找真的配音吧，或者把更多對話都加上語音，這樣會更生動一些~ 總之，就先說這麼多吧，這是一款好遊戲，非常值得購買，希望每個人都能遇到自己喜歡的人~ ----------------------------- 更新: 今天把分支再開，主要是針對想解鎖法比安木屋的橋段，兩人在木屋就算訂了情，所以後面的課題變成是否要公開來做文章，我必須說，以劇情的深刻度，還是先選別人，再選法比安略勝一籌，因為這會導致最後的部分是否有雙方揪心的掙扎，那是最精彩的，讓我覺得神奇的是，實際上就算是這個路線，很多對話依然是重複的，但即便如此，相同的對話卻似乎可以套用在兩個不同的情境之中，產生不一樣的意思，這真的是非常神奇，後面可能會再開一下黑人路線吧，jin的部分就算了，我真的沒甚麼興趣~ 結尾說這只是第一章節而已，蠻好奇整個故事體量可以有多大，讓我們期待後續~ -------------------------- 三更: 今天把卡洛斯路線完成了，不得不說，卡洛斯這個角色還是很有趣的，非常幽默風趣且輕鬆，雖然看似漫不經心，卻在意想不到的地方透漏自己的真誠。 玩其他路線的時候，會看到法比安的難過與傷心，那種一直等待他人，無限包容的性格，是如此令人心疼，雖然卡洛斯很有趣，但我還是更喜歡法比安，至於jin，真的是沒甚麼興趣，這遊戲先到此為止吧，我已經花費很多時間了，6個結局，開了5個，只剩jin而已。 寬容的愛是偉大的，但只有自私的愛，才是獨特的 -獻給所有為愛而生的人們

thai sub Pls

A différence d'autres VN, il y a une variété d'images avec le sens du détail, des effets de lumière soignés et des personnages attachants. Les sujets abordés sont variés et je ne suis qu'aux premiers jours. J'ai hâte de voir où l'histoire mènera Mat. En plus, je suis content de voir que le jeu a été traduit en français et en espagnol (LATAM) ! C'est un vrai plus !!! Je recommande les yeux fermés !

I’ve been following, playing and supporting this project for some time now and I’m pleased that we finally got an ending to act I. That being said though the story is good but has some plot holes, which, if if I understand correctly might be expanded on in the future. The visuals, the spicy scenes and the models are great and very well made. Overall the whole coming-of-age story line is really good. I’d say get in on the action now. You’re not gonna regret it!

You might think this is just another game where you watch attractive characters having sex. While the constant nudity did feel a bit uncomfortable at times, Matt and Fabien’s story justifies it. Moving past clichés and stereotypes—and drawing on my own background in psychology—I recognized that my own mindset used to mirror Matt’s and his journey toward liberation. Honestly, I haven't enjoyed a game in this genre this much in a long time; the story is compelling, and the characters speak with such depth and realism. You can tell this game was made with love. I do hope for some graphical improvements, though; sometimes the faces and bodies look perfect, but at other times, the faces look like they have a filter applied and lose their appeal. I came out of the closet a long time ago, yet certain situations still felt very familiar to me. I look forward to seeing more from this game—more to explore, more nuances, and further refinements—because it is already a fantastic game with a beautiful story and a powerful message. I highly recommend it. Thanks for the Spanish subtitles; I only spotted one error in the dialogue, but honestly, it’s barely noticeable. Thank you for creating this game and pouring your heart into it. I swear I cried during the final moments after it ended. Anyway, I highly recommend it.